Answers to the 10 most commonly asked IT-related questions
Top 10 IT FAQs
Answers to common questions
Please return often to see our latest Top 10 IT FAQs!
- Should I leave it on or turn it off?
- What is a cookie?
- Is my computer upgradable to Windows Vista?
- What should I use to clean my LCD monitor?
- Can I run Windows XP on a Mac?
- How can I check where my kids have been on the Internet?
- What should I do if my PC responds erratically, is sluggish or freezes up?
- What else does Google offer other than basic searches?
- How can I copy text from an Adobe PDF file?
- Where can I find free public domain images and pictures?
On or Off?
Turn it off when not in use! You turn your TV, radio, and other devices off, so shut that computer down, too. There are always two sides to this issue and we believe the reasons to shut it off outweigh the reasons to leave it on, including leaving your system in "sleep" or "standby" mode.
Another reason you should shut your system down is memory leakage. When you run a program it grabs a chunk of memory to use and it is suppose to free up the memory when you close it, but sometimes it doesn't release all the memory and it becomes unavailable for other programs to use. When this happens your resources may become low and your computer sluggish. Re-starting the unit will solve this problem. When you just place your system in "suspend" mode it won't refresh your memory.
When you get an error message or other computer problem, the first thing you need to ask yourself is, what have you changed or installed. If you turn your computer off every day you only have to remember the last 24 hours but if you keep your system on and the error occurs after a reboot you have to remember everything that you did since the last time you rebooting your system which could be days, weeks or even months!
Your computer contains at least one fan if not more. These fans suck in air along with dust. Even if you have a very clean environment, the longer they run the dirtier they get inside.
Cookies
Cookies are small files that websites put on your computer hard disk drive when you first visit. Think of a cookie as an identification card that's uniquely yours. Its job is to notify the site when you've returned. Cookies shouldn’t be confused with viruses. While it is possible to misuse a cookie in cases where there is personal data in it, cookies by themselves are not malicious.
Many websites, including Microsoft's, use cookies. Cookies tell us how often you visit pages, which helps us find out what information interests you. In this way, we can give you more of the content you like and less of the content you don't.
Cookies can help you be more efficient. Have you ever put something in a virtual shopping cart in an online store and then returned a few days later to find that the item is still there? That's an example of cookies at work.
Cookies let you store preferences and user names, register products and services, and personalize pages.
But if you never register or leave personal information at a site, then the server only knows that someone with your cookie has returned to the website. It doesn't know anything else. You're in charge of deciding whether "they" know anything about you.
Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor
For those of you that want the latest, Microsoft has a downloadable program that will check your system for you. Want to see if your Windows XP-based PC can run Windows Vista? Just download, install, and run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor.
This small software tool will scan your computer and create an easy-to-understand report of all known system, device, and program compatibility issues, and recommend ways to resolve them. Upgrade Advisor can also help you choose the edition of Windows Vista that best fits the way you want to use your computer.
Or, if you’d rather have an ITX professional technician check it out for you, please call ITX at 282.7333!
Cleaning your LCD monitor
Don’t use anything containing ammonia. The next time you walk down the automotive aisle look for some Auto Glass Cleaner. You’ll notice that Auto Glass Cleaner contains no ammonia and you should see the words "Ammonia Free" on the container and the price is just slightly more than regular window cleaner. Now you have something to clean your LCD screen with plus your car windows!
Windows XP on a Mac
Apple has released a download that allows you to dual boot with Windows XP. Check out the website below for more details and requirements.
http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/More and more people are buying and loving Macs. To make this choice simply irresistible, Apple will include technology in the next major release of Mac OS X, Leopard, that lets you install and run the Windows XP operating system on your Mac. Called Boot Camp (for now), you can download a public beta today.
Checking where your kids have been on the Internet
If you use Internet Explorer you can check the history by typing Ctrl+shift+H to view the history and then type Ctrl+shift+H to hide it again. Windows Vista offers some built-in parental controls. Select the link below for additional information from Microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/parental-controls.aspxCheck with your service provider for any parental controls and/or software that they may provide. You may want to purchase and install some monitoring software yourself that they will not be able to disable. Look for a product that not only monitors Internet usage but one that also has a keystroke logger so that you can monitor what they type such as Emails or Instant messages.
Let them know that you have monitoring software installed and from time to time you will be checking their computer use, you want to keep the lines of communication open.
K9 is an excellent Internet filter for both Macintosh and Windows computers. K9 boasts many advanced features and access controls. Best of all it is FREE to use! Download your free software from this website: http://GetK9.com/
What should I do if my PC responds erratically, is sluggish or freezes up?
Most of the time this is happening due to a lack of available computer resources, such as RAM (random access memory). Occasionally, programs will consume a lot of RAM when they are opened and won't free up that memory for the operating system (i.e., Windows XP, Vista, Linux...) when the program is closed.
First, try closing all applications that you can do without. If this does not remedy the problem, restarting the computer will release back the resources. If the start button is still responding, select Start/Shut Down, then Restart. If the Start button isn't responding, simultaneously press the Ctrl, Alt & Del keys, then select Restart.
If all else fails, push and hold the power button for a slow 10 second count. You will see the computer power down. You will then have to push the power button again to turn the computer back on; you will lose any unsaved changes to files that were open prior to (hard) rebooting.
All about Google
Google is all about how you type in your query! Just like a Swiss army knife, Google has a lot of great hidden features once you get to know them, including:
- A calculator
- A dictionary
- A glossary
- An automatic unit converter
- A resource for common facts (population, famous dates, etc.)
- A resource for Mathematical constants (Pi, speed of light, etc)
- A resource for Weather reports, flight status and Airport conditions
- A resource for packages through UPS, FedEx, and USPS
- A resource for Stock Quotes
For many more details, please refer to this article:
http://www.informit.com/articles/printerfriendly.aspx?p=675528Copying text from an Adobe PDF file
To copy text from an Adobe PDF file follow the below steps:
- Open the PDF file in Adobe Reader or through your browser.
- Once the PDF file is open click the Select tool in the toolbar, shown in the below picture.
- Once this option has been selected highlight the text you wish to copy and click Edit and then Copy or right-click the highlighted text and click copy or copy to clipboard.
- Once the text has been copied you should be able to paste the text into another program.
Free Public Domain Images
Today there are dozens of great Internet websites that offer hundreds of thousands of free public domain and royalty-free images that have been taken by other users on the Internet. Note: Keep in mind that while these sites have free images, some of them may have different agreements. Make sure the images you're copying have no restrictions or license agreements – or if they do, that you follow them.
Stock Exchange http://www.sxc.hu/
One of the best sites to locate free stock photo's – containing thousands of free images that can be used. While many of the pictures are free, some of the images do require written permission first.
Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Fantastic media repository that is part of the Wikipedia umbrella project where you’re free to use any of the sites photos, audio, videos, and other media freely.
Flickr: The Commons http://flickr.com/commons
A great feature from the popular photo sharing site Flickr where institutes such as The Library Of Congress, Powerhouse Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and various users can post and share images that have no known copyright restrictions.
MorgueFile http://www.morguefile.com/
Another fantastic location to locate high-resolution digital stock photography. The site offers thousands of free images almost all of which have no restrictions or agreements attached. In addition, the site requires no login to download the high quality files.
U.S. Government Graphics & Photos http://www.firstgov.gov/Topics/Graphics.shtml
Another fantastic site linking to other U.S. government sites containing hundreds of thousands free and public domain images linking to image categories such as: Air Force, forests, animals, Army, birds, coast guard, crops, fish, fire, fruits, geology, Indians, lab research, mammals, money, mountains, NASA, Navy, parks, plants, Presidents, space, storms, veggies, volcano's, war, wildlife, and much more.
StockVault http://www.stockvault.net/
A great site that contains thousands of free stock photography in a large variety of categories.
PD Photo http://pdphoto.org/
Contains thousands of free public-domain pictures. This site contains one of the best collections of travel pictures from around the world.
Liam's pictures from Old Books http://www.fromoldbooks.org/
A good collection of original pictures from old books that are no longer copyrighted and considered public domain. This is a great place to find obscure and unique pictures and illustrations.
WorldImages http://worldart.sjsu.edu
California State University site that contains over 60,000 images from around the world that can be used freely for non-profit and education use.
